Top 8 Questions To Ask Before Launching Your e-Commerce Website

Building and selling your products online can open up a world of opportunities for your business. You can maximize sales and grow your brand by carefully planning your eCommerce store, attracting customers through effective marketing strategies, and continuously optimizing your online presence.

Launching an e-commerce website in the ever-changing world of e-commerce can be an exciting as well as daunting prospect. Having a trusted marketing partner by your side throughout the process  can make things easier. To make sure your online business is ready to succeed before you launch, there are a few basic questions you must ask yourself.

So, if you are planning to start your e-commerce venture, it is very important that you have the answers to these 8 important questions.

1. How do I start building my online store?

Building an online store is an exciting yet challenging venture, demanding meticulous planning and execution for success.

• Choose the right E-Commerce platform: Selecting from various options like Shopify, Magento, or WooCommerce requires consideration of factors like ease of use, customisation, payment processing, and customer support.
• Set Up Your Product Catalogue: Optimize product descriptions with keywords and high-quality images, catering to your target audience’s preferences.
• Design Your Store for Maximum Impact: Focus on optimising website speed, intuitive navigation, high-quality product images, clear call-to-action buttons, and social proof to create a compelling user experience.
• Configure Payment and Shipping Options: Implement secure payment gateways like PayPal or Stripe and offer flexible shipping options to enhance customer satisfaction.
• Create and Publish Products: Utilize product descriptions, pricing, and images to categorize and publish products effectively.
• Drive Traffic to Your Online Store: Leverage SEO, PPC advertising, social media marketing, influencer partnerships, email marketing, and content marketing to attract targeted traffic to your store, boosting sales and growth.

Following these steps diligently will help you build a successful online store that resonates with your customers and achieves your business objectives. Good luck on your journey!

2. What is your target audience, and what are their needs?

In the realm of eCommerce, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t exist. Understanding your unique target audience is paramount, as it shapes your products and marketing strategies. The goal is to create a persona for each audience segment that represents their needs, wants, and desires.

The more specific your target audience is, the better you can tailor your products and marketing strategies to appeal to them. Following are the points that delve into defining and targeting your ideal customer to attract them effectively

• Analyzing Customer Demographics and Psychographics
• Referencing Your Competition
• Utilizing Data From Google Analytics
• Conducting Surveys or Focus Groups
• Leveraging Social Media
• Employing Consumer Research Tools
• Creating Personas
• Harnessing AI and Automation Tools

3. Is your website design User-Friendly and optimized for mobile devices?

Every eCommerce website designer would confirm that websites that are easy to use and designed for mobile devices provide a great experience for your visitors. When developing an eCommerce website, whether using a custom eCommerce platform or not, it is important to continuously test and update it in order to adapt to the changing mobile environment and meet customer expectations.

Following are some tips on how you can specialize in the design of eCommerce websites;

• Maintain intuitive site navigation by implementing a clear menu layout that is easily accessible and comprehensible.
• Pop-ups should be utilized in moderation, or seek alternative methods to convey the same information with reduced interference.
• Call-to-action (CTA) buttons should have a user-friendly design that allows for easy tapping and effectively communicates the desired user activity.

4. What is your budget for website development and ongoing maintenance?

To give the best possible service, there is a need for a clear grasp of your budget for website building and ongoing maintenance. This enables you to personalize the services to your exact requirements and ensure that your website is designed and maintained to the highest standards.

Know your website development budget and how much you’re willing to spend on ongoing upkeep. Knowing this information and offering it to your web designers will better prepare them to provide you with a comprehensive and tailored plan that matches your specific objectives.

Budgeting for website development and ongoing maintenance is a crucial part for managing your e-commerce expenses effectively. Consider factors such as website design, development, hosting, domain registration, security measures, and ongoing support. Be realistic about your budgetary constraints and prioritize essential features and functionalities within your allocated funds.

5. To increase organic traffic, is your website search engine optimized?

Search engine optimization (SEO), and more specifically, an eCommerce SEO plan, ought to be a primary concern when developing an online store. If you own an online store, your web designers should think about which platform is ideal for search engine optimization. You should adopt the following approach for search engine optimization for shopping websites:

●       Use resources like Google’s Keyword Planner, SEMrush, and Ahrefs to find profitable keywords for your products.

●       Make sure that the meta tags, titles, and descriptions of each product on the website are distinct and interesting.

●       Image alt tags should be descriptive to help people with visual impairments view the images and to give search engines more information about the images.

●       The top eCommerce platform for search engine optimization allows you to build a sensible system of internal links that search engines may use to understand the connections between your pages.

6. Are Your Social Media Channels Linked to Your Website?

After you’ve created an eCommerce website, you should connect it to your social media profiles. This part of eCommerce website design services helps your brand establish a greater online presence through traffic referrals.

For this, you can make social network buttons or icons stand out on your website, preferably in the header, footer, or sidebar, and make sure they are consistent with your brand. Set the social media links to open in new browser tabs so that visitors do not leave your website when they click on one. Include social sharing buttons on your product pages and blog articles so that visitors may share your material with their social media networks.

To encourage people to participate with your brand, include a clear call-to-action next to social network symbols such as “Follow Us,” “Like Us,” or “Share This.” Consider adding social media widgets that show your most recent posts or follower numbers to encourage users to investigate your social media pages.

7. What payment gateways will you use, and how will you ensure the security of customers?

A payment gateway is crucial for securely processing online client purchases. It links your consumers, website, and financial institutions. When customers enter sensitive payment information, like credit card numbers, the payment gateway protects it. It then checks with the payment processor if clients have enough money or credit to buy.

The payment gateway notifies your website of payment approval after confirmation. Your consumers may feel certain that their payment details are secure and the transactions are authorized.

Ensuring secure payment processing is vital for building trust with your customers and protecting sensitive financial information. Choose reputable payment processors such as PayPal, Stripe, or Square to offer convenient and secure payment options to your customers.

 8. How will you measure success and track critical metrics?

Business growth depends on measuring success and tracking key metrics. This requires setting clear project or business goals and identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) to track success.

First, choose the indicators that matter most to your business and create success goals. Ecommerce stores may track conversion rates, average order value, and client lifetime value. Tracking engagement, reach, and follower growth is important for social media campaigns. You must create a method to track your KPIs after identifying them.

This could involve measuring website traffic, sales, and social media stats with analytics tools or spreadsheets. To meet your goals, assess your KPIs and adapt your plan often. Establishing a clear framework for measuring success and tracking key metrics can help you make informed decisions and achieve your goals.

The Bottom Line!

If you want to build a strong foundation for your eCommerce website and give your clients a good experience, pay attention to the above -mentioned important things before you launch it. In order to succeed in the competitive online market, you need to put user experience, assurances, client service, SEO, reputation management, data analytics, social media integration, and testing at the top of your list of priorities.

If you need help setting up, managing and optimising your e-commerce store or want to book a free consulting session to discuss your specific business needs to get in touch at Robiz Solutions.

 Frequently Asked Question

What should an ecommerce site have?

An ecommerce site must have 1) Main website; 2) Contact page; 3) Pages for products or services; 4) Information about the company; 5) Page for blog posts; 6) Page for displaying a 404 error message; 7) Page to express gratitude; 8) Policy about privacy; 9) Policy for shipping and returns.

What should I do before launching an ecommerce website?

Before launching an e-commerce website, conduct thorough market research to identify your niche and target audience. Develop a comprehensive business plan and strategy, ensuring you have chosen the right platform, logistics, and marketing approach to maximize success.

What are the three success factors of an e-commerce website?

Here are the three most important success factors affecting ecommerce; low customer acquisition costs, high repurchase rates, and healthy margins.